Great Fictional Engineers

摘要

Engineers and scientists usually get a pretty raw deal in science fiction. They're the ones whose hubris causes them to build a starship that fails, create a monster, or construct a computer that becomes sentient and threatens the whole of humankind. Resident science fiction author, Gareth L. Powell, attempts to redress the balance. Recently, I've been enjoying the TV series For All Mankind on Apple TV. Without giving too much away, it is an alternate history of the US space program from 1969 onwards, and the way they blend real and fictional stories, characters and news footage is very cleverly and effectively done. The characters are engrossing, and the sequences set on the surface of the moon are breath-takingly beautiful. But what I am enjoying the most is the portrayal of competent engineers and scientists doing their jobs, solving problems, and accomplishing great things.